rhizomorph

American  

[rahy-zuh-mawrf] / ˈraɪ zəˌmɔrf /

noun

Mycology.

1. a cordlike fusion of hyphae that leads certain fungi across various substrates like a root through soil.

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rhizomorph British  

/ ˈraɪzəʊˌmɔːf /

noun

1. a rootlike structure of certain fungi, such as the honey fungus Armillaria mellea , consisting of a dense mass of hyphae

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Etymology

Origin of rhizomorph

First recorded in 1840–50; rhizo- + -morph

Example Sentences

This fungus also sends out rootlike structures called rhizomorphs that bring water to wood that would otherwise be dry, thus making the wood damp enough for the fungus to digest.

From Washington Post

Black, stringy rhizomorphs grow through the soil into the roots and trunk of the tree and attack the wood.

From New York Times

Vargas, R. & Allen, M. F. Dynamics of fine root, fungal rhizomorphs, and soil respiration in a mixed temperate forest: integrating sensors and observations.

From Nature

Muskat found a rhizomorph at the bottom of our tree, but the healthy-looking wood and the dead-looking mushroom suggested it wouldn’t glow.

From Seattle Times

Mr. Muskat found a rhizomorph at the bottom of our tree, but the healthy-looking wood and the dead-looking mushroom suggested it wouldn’t glow.

From New York Times